Zee Whitaker
LightNews LightNews
banner
zeewhitaker.bsky.social
Zee Whitaker
@zeewhitaker.bsky.social
620 followers 490 following 1.4K posts
Writer of fantasy, magic, romance, and LGBTQIA+ themes!

I'm just a soft hearted romantic who loves stories about the farthest depths of human emotion which largely happen around swords and dragons.

Autistic, bi, 30s, she/her. married. mdni. no AI.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
zeewhitaker.bsky.social
Zee Whitaker @zeewhitaker.bsky.social · Aug 22
#promosky #amwriting #WriteSky 💙📚🌈📚🌈✒️
Hi #WritingCommunity!
I'm Zee, writer of fantasy, romance, LGBTQ+ and magic.
Autistic, bi, 30s, she/her. mdni
I'm working on a book! Which means I have a long, rich, important road ahead of me. I'm overjoyed to be on this journey and connect with others. 💛
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 17. “Value”

While Ashrah finds something of value, Tomas is left without learning anything of value…

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #NetherTouchedSareena #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
He then laid the igu’yss on the horizontal stick and sat down, legs crossed, to watch his food cook. “Thought you had given up on eating that,” Sareena said. “Tell you the truth, I was gathering courage.” “And you gathered it?” “Getting there.” He gave the fire a rueful smile. “It occurs to me that I don’t know much about you. I know your name, and if I’m not mistaken, your human lineage comes from India.” “Look at that, we’re practically besties already!” He looked from the roasting lizard to Sareena, who ignored those big, needy human eyes. “Shinie! Very shinie!” Utuk drooled over the Agahmul pendant. “Trade shinies with Utuk?” Ashrah handed it the pendant and took something from the rulkh in return. What in the Hells did she find of value in all that trifle? Touting its new treasure to an invisible audience, its shrill voice carrying far and wide, Utuk bumbled away, jingling like a band of hanging skeletons clacking against one another.
February 17, 2026 at 11:59 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
pjccahill.bsky.social
NICEF, Taegen: she needs to feel productive due to trauma coping. Aroi House is the first time she's rested at all in decades.
(1/3)
#AwesomeCharacters
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social ❄️Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta ☃️ @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 2d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

It's Monday! How does your character feel about their work?

Do they have a job? Do they enjoy it?

Or is it just a way to pay the bills? Do they dread going in on a Monday and live for the weekend?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
February 16, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 16. "Hurt"

A little while ago, I shared a snippet where Baraka was being forced to fight a wounded Johnny. If you were wondering why he was so hurt, well...

CW for burning flesh.

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #BattlemageAskaly #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #QueerWriters
Fists enveloped in furious flames, the elyenük attacked. With a circular movement of the arms, Johnny parried his opponent with his forearm, slapped him in the chest with the back of his hand, then with the other hand, pecked the elyenük just below his heart. That point hurt—Faukeï grunted, the flames in his hair faltering and diminishing, but rather than retreating as he had done the previous times, he lunged at Johnny and wrapped his arms around him. Askaly brought her hands to her mouth, unable to contain a gasp as fire enveloped the two combatants. The surging flames wavered with Johnny’s screams as he contorted inside Faukeï’s tight grip. “Sonya,” Raiden warned as a sheet of water enveloped the younger monk’s hands. She glared at the god but, knowing she could do nothing, contained her magic. The stench of burning flesh assaulted Askaly. She turned away and gripped the back of the closest chair as revulsion seared her throat. Even as she tried to block her powers, she smelt the boiling blood, her entrails twisting themselves into a knot, making her own blood curdle. Fuck, fuck, fuck…
February 16, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
ellielieberman.bsky.social
Paperback, ebook, KU!

During a dark, rainy night, everything seems to be going wrong. Can Brigid and her basset, Basil, find some light in the dark?

www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXFJXQ9G/

#kidslit #childrensbooks
Without Stars cover: digital artwork of a basset hound wearing a raincoat, laying in a puddle, staring up at to the right at drips off his hat. In a white text: Without Stars above the basset and Ellie Lieberman beneath him
February 14, 2026 at 4:34 AM
zeewhitaker.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

Oh boy did I have plenty of snips for this one. I'll go with a fairly new one I haven't shared before.

*Context: Farley is afraid of horses, which are afraid of Caspen.
Her wound is a slash across her ribs. It’s deep, but not enough that it should have put her in this state. She hasn’t lost enough blood yet to collapse. That’s not what did it. Something is wrong with the flesh around the wound. The edges are strangely discolored in purple and blue. There are black lines reaching out from around it, and her blood is clotting as soon as it leaves her. I’ve never seen something like this. No poison or animal I’ve heard of, arcane or otherwise, has this effect. “What did this? And when?” Nell shivers. There’s sweat pouring down her face and her breath is shallow. “Didn’t see…” she’s losing clarity again, but her tenacity is clear. She’s kept awake by spite and will alone. “Less than an hour ago. The woods. Not an animal…not a person.” A cold breeze washes over us. I think it was warm before it got here. “I’m going to take you to the clinic,” I tell her. “Will your horse let me…” She whistles to it. The animal paws the ground and trots in a circle, desperate to come closer. Caspen moves away so that it can. I realize I am going to have to get Nell Barcley, a woman far taller and larger than me, onto a horse, a creature far taller and larger than any of us. I miss Alcie. “You are able.” Right next to my ear, Caspen’s voice is calm and low. “Caspen won’t let it hurt you.” I know he meant to help. But my knees are weaker than before.
February 16, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
5feetofredfury.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WriteSky #writingprompt

Duels of Blood (ObiDai get roughed up a few times in this book 😅😅)
“Your shoulder." “Sore, but it’s fine. You?” “I…I don’t know—my left side hurts. Check for me.” “Be honest, not brave.” Since it was too dark to see properly, Obito gingerly touched Daisuke’s ribs, then pressed a little harder when he didn’t react. He didn’t stop increasing the pressure until Daisuke involuntarily pulled a hiss of discomfort through his teeth. Even so, they both chose to take it as a positive sign—bruised at worst, but not cracked or broken, which meant neither of them were visibly injured enough to draw suspicion when they returned to the main courtyard.
February 16, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social
#Febchantment Day 16

The most powerful magics are quite rare, and some are likely lost forever now that the dragons are gone.

Perhaps the most powerful of these lost techniques (depending on how you measure it) was the ability to sever the body's connection to the Stream.

🧵
professoremily.bsky.social Prof Emily @professoremily.bsky.social · 3d
#Febchantment Day 16

This might be a tricky question, but in your opinion, what is the ✨️most powerful✨️ use of magic in your system?

Of course, this all depends on how you define "powerful"! It may not necessarily have anything to do with how much damage is dealt...

#writingcommunity #writesky
#Febchantment prompt for Feb 16: What is the most POWERFUL use of magic in your system? How you define "powerful" is up to you! Text is white letters on a blue background featuring a magic book with lots of sparkles, and a yellow octopus dressed as Glinda the Good Witch sitting in the bottom right corner. Hosted by @professoremily.bsky.social
February 16, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters I should've added them to my original post, but allow me a moment to talk about my girls from #WorldWithoutLove x)

Briaca sucks at haggling but people will give her discounts anyway because she's a General of Aphrodite, and Qinyang makes a life out of lying, so much (1/2)
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social ❄️Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta ☃️ @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 3d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Happy Discount Candy Day!

How does your character feel about a bargain? Are they good at business or haggling? Try to get the best price?

Or are they too rich to care, or planning to steal the item anyway?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
February 16, 2026 at 2:21 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
lcyruswhelchel.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters

Maple is a skilled merchant & cutthroat businesswoman at haggling. She loves scoring a good deal & could easily be Nixtral’s first billionaire if she didn’t have a strong moral compass.

One of my fave scenes in OoLaD shows her haggling w/ a seedy merchant over a fish!
Maple, an Aerivolk merchant and major character from The Faumen War Chronicles.
February 16, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
audconnelly.bsky.social
Kenzie loves deal-hunting and will always dig to the bottom of a barrel for the best deal.

This is because when we meet her she is a broke college student.🤣
The good people of Swallowsaw could be counted on to provide for themselves with their gardens and to fill the gaps in their pantries at the citizens’ market, but some things could not be grown at home—like microwave ramen and condoms. Such imported luxuries were sorted by type but not by brand. The ketchup that came in on the last train was the ketchup you got. All the bottles with their different volumes and shapes and labels were chucked in a big cardboard box on a pallet, this week’s shipment on top of last week’s on top off the week before’s. If you dug to the bottom and found one that was expired, you could ask for a discount.
February 15, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
aiko-aslanian.bsky.social
Despite the story taking place 50% under water, I didn't have any acceptable "liquid" snips yesterday.

But vibes? This is California, baby. The crew will take a break from planning the heist to push each other's buttons and jockey for moral superiority.

#WIPsnip #fantasyheist #amwriting
Aurora swatted Poly’s hand away. “You’re smudging my lipstick.” “That’s why I’ve been encouraging lip stains, darling, they last ages.” “I don’t usually have anyone manhandling me so it’s not generally an issue.” “Well maybe you should, you’ve seemed kind of tense lately. Also, not a man.” “Women can manhandle.” “But it’s a gendered term.” “What am I supposed to say, personhandle? Just because it has the word ‘man’ doesn’t mean doesn’t apply to any gender, in fact I think it’s rather sexist of you—“ “What are you all talking about?” Periwinkle cut in, her eyes sparking. “Gender politics,” Fitz said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “What is ‘gender politics’?” Periwinkle said, distaste in her expression. Fitz rolled his eyes. “It’s a status contest to see who is the most righteous.” “Oh. And who is winning?” “It’s not about—“ Aurora started, but Poly declared: “ME. I’m the gender sovereign. I win.” Nina wrinkled her nose. “Say who?” “Vibes, love. Mine are immaculate. I’m the Woke Pope. Bow down.” Periwinkle seemed unimpressed. “Knock it off, Poly.” Fitz said, whacking their bicep. “You’re confusing the mermaids.”
February 11, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
reaper-man.bsky.social
#Febchantment Day 14

The most terrifying thing about the magic that permeates my world is its unpredictability. One small mistake, and everyone ends up as cinders. Or flamingos. Or soup tureens.

Occasionally, all at once.
The universe at large was extremely fond of rules. It hoarded a vast collection of them that applied nearly everywhere. Gravity kept things together. Motion kept things going. Causality made things happen. All sorts of rules, clasping their hands in quiet concert and holding reality in place. One of the absolute classics stated that anything left alone long enough would eventually collapse into chaos. The world of Ephinel—whose waist bore Shorespine like a particularly pugnacious carbuncle—was, of course, no exception. Magic on Ephinel also followed a very definite set of rules. The problem was no one knew what they were. Early witches and wizards approached magic in the same manner as the first adventurous souls to discover which mushrooms were safe to eat. There was only one way to find out. Some varieties would show you dazzling images of gods and the afterlife. Others would send you to them expeditiously, sometimes lightly sautéed. People didn’t trust magic. And magic, which had always been a little bit alive, wisely didn’t trust people either.
February 14, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
pamelaelaela.bsky.social
Happy Valentine’s Day, loves! Y’all are the best, did ya know? 🤗💚

No “sweetheart,” so I went with “sweetness” today. Here’s Danbi and Bronte the lynx, forming a special bond.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #AmQuerying
📚💙
With the steady care of a painter’s stroke, I lean forward and lift a hand toward him. His head dips, eyes watchful. Uncertainty rushes up my chest, but I home in on the lynx’s heartbeat intersecting mine, the invisible current sparking between our eyes. My fingertips brush the downy fur at the side of the lynx’s face. And the world slips away. A swell of images and emotions floods my mind—mewling to life in darkness; fuzzy body wrapped against a sister’s in a snarl of roots; the shield and blanket of a mother’s body and the sweetness of her milk; the tangling of tiny limbs at play; the sharpness of the sister’s teeth; the first triumphant taste of a snowshoe hare’s flesh; the heavy, ineluctable departure from childhood and family; the bittersweet freedom of a life forged in solitude; the steadfast serenity of the woods. And as they flicker, my soul unlocks as well, laying out its secrets, those which I already divulged in my pursuit of the animus and others to which I could never give voice if I tried. It happens in an instant. The fluid synchrony of our lives intertwining, our spirits melding, tenses and holds like a knot pulled tight. The lynx and I are bound.
February 14, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
zprospero.bsky.social
HELL IS WORK

Virgil Mora, Hell's consultant, must restore Heaven's faith in Hell to save the angel he's fallen for.

Feat.
❤️‍🔥 Grumpy X Sunshine
✍️ Magical Contracts
🦋 AuDHD Rep
🖤🐘🤍💜 Ace Romance
👨‍💼 Cosmic Power, Imposter Syndrome

#CuPit #W #A #F #LGBT
In a dark room, a golden curly haired angel wearing a white dress shirt, tie, and red suspenders has his hand tenderly placed on the elbow and shoulder of a shorter man with dark hair in a black business suit and red tie holding a lit lighter between them, illuminating the room. Above this is the words: "It's never dark when you're around, My Prince." He said to the Prince of Darkness
February 14, 2026 at 4:55 PM
zeewhitaker.bsky.social
Watching The Hobbit while newly being a Thorin x Bilbo shipper is a whole new experience
February 15, 2026 at 4:22 AM
zeewhitaker.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

Happy Valentine's! 🤎🤍

I don't have "sweetheart" but I do have sweet, and it's a (bitter)sweet little moment.
“No problems,” he answers. “Caspen has finished meditating. And laundry. And mopping. What are you reading?” Is he…bored? “I’ve brought you plenty of books,” I mumble. “Have you finished with them already?” Caspen lets out a short, disconcerted breath. “Caspen is asking about this book.” “I can’t lend it to you because it’s being lent to me.” “Can you also not tell anyone what is inside? Mm. Lending has strict rules.” A sweet smile visits me, like a songbird deciding to perch on your hand. Happy for its grace, I don’t scare it away. “It’s about love,” I give in. I open the book back to the page I was on, fingers trailing across my favorite part. “They are two knights serving the same queen. Until they decide she isn’t worth serving any longer. They pledge their fealty to each other, instead.” Caspen is quiet for a moment. “You are very taken by romantic stories.” “I always have been.” “Yet you are alone.” I smile, closing the book. “That is a language I can read but not speak.”
February 14, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
walkerharris.net
And here is drummer AJ!

#OCSpeedDating
Pink and purple background with hearts and text that says: #OCSpeedDating Profile Name: AJ Lloyd Age: 22 Gender: cis man Sexuality: gay Personality: Cinnamon roll coasting through life because worry rarely helps much. Won't hesitate to stand up for someone facing prejudice tho. Interests: Been playing drums in bands half of my life. Enjoys following the gossip and drama or other bands. REALLY hates office life but gotta pay the bills. Looking for: Relationship, short or long-term. A man who isn't afraid of who he is. No assholes or bigots! Reply with your profile if you think we're a match! An illustration of a man with broad shoulders, muscular arms and a round belly. He is leaning his head forward while rubbing his neck nervously. He has floppy curly black hair, and is wearing green cargo shorts with drumsticks in his pocket. One shoe is untied. His black t-shirt is for the band "Knights of Future Glory." Illustration by Dairy Tart https://dairytart.carrd.co/.
February 14, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
clericofthevoid.bsky.social
To celebrate, Name Her Holy will be FREE for the next ✨24 hours✨ on itch! So if you’ve been eyeing it, now’s your chance 👁️✨👁️✨👁️✨

aubreyennis.itch.io/name-her-holy
Cover of the book Name Her Holy on an eReader. Tropes called out are- Trans fem Valkyrie Found family A dead god rising from the grave, nbd Chronically ill chosen one Oath swearing as a lesbian love language Slowest of slowburns Cover art: Book cover art for Name Her Holy by Aubrey Ennis. The cover has two women standing against a starry twilight background with a pale sun. At the forefront Kye stands facing forward, one hand held up with a cold flame and billowing black smoke. She is wearing dark purple robes with a high color and gold accents. She has dark wavy brown hair that comes to her chin, tan skin covered in light scars, and pale gray eyes. Behind her Jude stands in profile, a head taller than Kye. She is in leather armor stamped with meadow floral designs, holding a golden sword etched with light oak leaves. Jude is white, has long auburn hair in a braid with an undercut at the sides. She has a long scar across her nose and freckles on her cheeks. The sun rises behind her. A border of flowers and stars creates an arch above them with a deep purple background.
February 13, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
racthoh.bsky.social
#WIPSnips Serious. Seriousness in this case. Our hero speaks with Damion on the matter of his cursed hand.

Text in the alt.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
"And you. Don't think I can sense the corruption inside you." I pulled off my glove and held the profile of my hand to Damion, "I have not been able to discern the seriousness of this curse. Aside from the hideous nature and one encounter with Tyrinal, I have not felt burdened in any way. At least, nothing that comes to mind immediately. That's the problem with this life I lead, never enough time to surround myself with people who can tell me I'm a little off." The necromancer made his way to my side, taking my hand and examining it thoroughly.
February 13, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social
"...I shouldn’t assume I know who you are now.”

Dahlia giggled, “It feels nice. It feels like putting on my favorite sweater.”

“Yeah. That’s a good way to put it. So.” Rose paused and looked away for a moment. “So, can we do this?”

“Do what?” Dahlia asked.
“Can we be friends, and just friends? I said I wouldn’t do anything untoward. I meant it. But the only reason I said it was because I knew I would have to try not to do anything. I wanted to touch your hand just now. I want to run my hand through your hair.” Dahlia gasped and, realizing that she had leaned in, jerked herself back. “Oh God. I see what you mean.” “I’m attracted to you. I’m sure you’re attracted to me.” Dahlia cringed, but nodded. “But,” Rose continued. “We’ve agreed that we aren’t going to pursue a relationship. So how do we keep working this close without letting something happen?” “Willpower. Professionalism.” Dahlia said. “We are collaborators. We are colleagues. We will remain professional, because we are adults and not horny teenagers
February 13, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
havetsavain.bsky.social
Day 12

One magical culture’s people master a topic they find on their own. From there, they dedicate themselves to understanding it fully, crafting their magic around their findings.

Ex; Sound.

Moving soundwaves around, to either stop it being heard, or gathering secrets.

#Febchantment #booksky
professoremily.bsky.social Prof Emily @professoremily.bsky.social · 7d
#Febchantment Day 12

What does it take to be considered a "master" of your magic system?

Is it about the range of your techniques? The difficulty level? The amount of knowledge in your head? Your ability not to set yourself on fire?

Or perhaps there IS no "mastery"?

#writingcommunity #writesky
#Febchantment prompt for Feb 12: What are the requirements or standards to be considered a "master" of this magic system? Text is white letters on a blue background featuring a magic book with lots of sparkles, and a yellow octopus dressed as Glinda the Good Witch sitting in the bottom right corner. Hosted by @professoremily.bsky.social
February 12, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
havetsavain.bsky.social
Day 12:

Wandering in the unknown, souls await to be ferried off into an afterlife by either a unicorn of land or sea. Yet, another entity salivates at intercepting them.

Alternatively, those who dabbled in/products of Rituals will wander eternity without a guide.

#FebruaryWorldbuilders #booksky
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 7d
#FebruaryWorldbuilders. Are souls real in your world? Does anything happen to them after a person dies? Or, whether or not they know the truth, do your characters have any beliefs about that? Does your world's religion preach anything about souls?
MonthlyWorldbuilders prompts daily feed card #FebruaryWorldbuilders Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Metaphysical World 12. Are souls real in your world? Or do characters believe in them? The background image shows a misty forest with a mysterious tower in the background. It has a cold, mysterious vibe.
February 12, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
audconnelly.bsky.social
For Kenzie, I pulled from Dexter Morgan, Ellie Satler, & Elsa.

Elsa-as-inspo was very unconsciously done (I had not seen Frozen since it was still new) so watching it again this year i was sat there like 😳🫢

Nothing "cease & desist letter from Disney" worthy but it's still funny.

1/2>>>
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social ❄️Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta ☃️ @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 6d
Tell me more about your #AwesomeCharacters

Where do you get inspiration for your characters personality?

Yourself? Fictional characters? People you know or celebrities? It just comes to you?

Has someone you've met ever reminded you of your character?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
February 13, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
danaterrace.bsky.social
We've been looking forward to sharing this news for a long time. We're making a graphic novel!

The Owl House: The Long-Lived King
Written by me and the amazing @mikkicrisostomo.bsky.social

Illustrated by the incomparable @dindu99.bsky.social

We're so excited to tell a brand new story.
The cover of the graphic novel, a colored illustration by Daun Han depicting King in the foreground, Luz and Harpy Eda behind him, and the other cast of characters framing them including Willow, Hunter, Gus, Papa Titan, the Collector, and Amity.
February 12, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Zee Whitaker
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#AwesomeCharacters For me, it's a mix and match, a very nice mixture of ingredients that make up a banquet!

Usually, the base of the characters comes from random ideas—ideas, of course, always have baggage, but anyway. As I develop the character, I'm reminded of others (the chart below is one [1/4]
"Character Influence Meme" showing three characters from Chronicles of the Realms and other characters who have influenced them. First line: Kratos plus Angela (Marvel) plus Yu Shu Lien (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) plus Lae'zel equals Ashrah. Second line: Strigga (Castlevania) plus Captain America plus Nathan Drake plus Lady Maria (Bloodborne) = Nitara. Third line: Gideon (Gideon the Ninth) plus Loki (Marvel) plus Catra (She-Ra) plus Rogue (Marvel) = Sareena.
February 12, 2026 at 11:20 PM